Lot 56Chartists – Birmingham Murder on the body of...

Description

Chartists – Birmingham Murder on the body of Mary Attwood of Meriden Street, Birmingham, by William Lowe at the Meeting in the Bull Ring last night, Wednesday. Street literature published locally, probably by a local newspaper in Birmingham, no date but probably 1839/40. Slight loss to bottom edge affecting a few words of the body text and the name of the imprint. Slight blemish to the top left hand corner slightly affecting one letter but otherwise in good order. The ‘meeting’ was most probably one of the many Chartist meeting which were being held throughout the Country at this time. It appears that Mary Attwood, aged 18, referred to here as a ‘screw-girder’ was killed by her lover, William Lowe, also 18, who was a brass founder, but also known as ‘Bowen’ and referred to as an ‘amateur spouter’. We have not been able to trace another copy of this publication in the British Library, Birmingham Reference Library, nor in Copac.